THE GUGGENHEIM GROTTO
– ACOUSTIC
+ guests
After numerous Coast to Coast Headlining American tours, and tours opening for such artists as Ingrid Michaelson, Ani DiFranco and They Might Be Giants, Kevin May and Mick Lynch finally have time to make it back home to Ireland to play some shows.
With a brand new album under their belts, “The Universe is Laughing”, following on from 2005’s “Waltzing Alone” and 2007’s “Happy the Man”, and with the lads ready to go into the studio to record another, there will be no shortage of new tunes to be heard.
When Dublin alt-folk songwriters Kevin May and Mick Lynch of The Guggenheim Grotto first appeared on the Irish and U.S scene in 2005, comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel dominated the critical landscape. With their two-part harmonies, folk-acoustic stylings and earnest pop songwriting, it seemed no one could resist.
Over the past four years the duo has transcended the comparison – creating rich, multi-instrumental soundscapes. They dabble in synths and effects and radiate melancholic beauty. And sometimes they silence a room by simply harmonizing over a lone ukulele. Always though, their songwriting is marked with a belief in the promises of the universe, a curiosity about humanity and a hopeless romanticism embodied by only the most passionate of artists and dreamers.
This romanticism shines on the band’s new album, The Universe Is Laughing. A lyrical journey through life’s beautiful mysteries, the record sees Kevin and Mick further develop themes of self-discovery and enlightenment that they first visited on 2009’s Happy The Man.
With equal amounts melancholy and jubilance, The Universe Is Laughing is a celebration of universal truths and the mysteries of humanity. The duo’s signature mix of timeless folk, soaring melodies and emotionally intelligent lyrics remains intact while Kevin and Mick delve deeper to search for meaning within themselves.